Gateway Polydrug Use Among Puerto Rican and Dominican Adolescents Residing in New York City: The Moderating Role of Gender Jennifer A. Epstein Gilbert J. Botvin Tracy Diaz ABSTRACT. Most research of ethnic differences in adolescent drug use resorts to combining all Hispanic individuals into one group. This study focused on polydrug use among adolescents residing in an in- ner-city region by Hispanic ethnicity (Puerto Rican versus Dominican) and gender. Puerto Rican and Dominican students in 22 New York City middle schools participated. Sixth and seventh graders completed self-re- port questionnaires with measures of the three gateway drugs (cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana) at baseline (N = 849) and at a one-year fol- low-up (N = 678). In the first year of middle school, gender moderated the effect of Hispanic ethnicity on lifetime polydrug use. Specifically, Dominican boys reported greater polydrug use than Dominican girls, but use was similar across gender for Puerto Rican adolescents. In the Jennifer A. Epstein, PhD, Gilbert J. Botvin, PhD, and Tracy Diaz, MA, are all affili- ated with the Institute for Prevention Research Cornell University, Weill Medical College. Address correspondence to: Jennifer A. Epstein, PhD, Institute for Prevention Re- search, Cornell University, Weill Medical College, 411 East 69th Street, KB 201, New York, NY 10021 (E-mail: jepstein@mail.med.cornell.edu). This study was supported by Grant 1 R03 DA 12432 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to Dr. Epstein. Data collection for this study was supported by Grant 1 R18 CA 39280 from the National Cancer Institute to Dr. Botvin, April 30, 2001. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, Vol. 12(2) 2002 http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp?sku=J029  2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 33